Lodging tax change sought

Local officials hope to streamline how area lodging tax dollars are collected, and to capture revenue that may currently slip through the cracks.

Those were two key highlights of a report to city officials Tuesday by former council member Paul Kess, who remains the city’s representatives on the Ely Area Lodging Tax Board.

Kess said that the board, which also includes representatives from Morse, Fall Lake and area unorganized townships, wants the state of Minnesota to take over collection of the lodging tax.